Lurking in the Shadows
by Sanctuary-Enigma
Summary: Dreams have been plaguing Kaoru at night, and it's hard to cope with them. Kenshin as Battousai has been living wthin darkness, looking for the right moment to claim what was his. Can he get his claim, or will something stop him?
1. Just a New Beginning

This is my eighth fan fic, and this one is dedicated to the eternal couple Kaoru and Kenshin, not that I don't like Tomoe or anything.  I do like her, but I just prefer Kaoru, because she is my favorite.  I kept on thinking about how the show ended, and every time I think about it, it made me cry.  I so badly wanted to write the continuing of it, to write my ideas out and post them out to the Internet, but something always held me back.  This story is the reincarnation of all the Kenshin-Gumi gang, and how the love Kaoru and Kenshin once had will be reunited in this modern world.  However, this story contains a lot of supernatural things, which will come later on in the next chapters.  Therefore in short meaning, is that this story will become much harder to understand, so please bear with me along my story.  If you have any questions, please leave them in your review or contact me at legendaryunicorn@yahoo.com.  If you think I should stop writing this story, then I'll gladly stop writing it, because I do know many of you out there are sensitive as I am as a person.  Please don't be harsh in your review.  I'm sensitive person.  Thanks and enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin Series.  I wish I did but I don't. : (

Just a New Beginning

Chapter One

The road forever seemed endless.  The path never stopped.  Ever step that was taken, granted unbearable pain.  Tears stung from her eyes, her heart torn, and long ached for something, anything to stop its pain.  Her breaths came out ragged and short,  her mind screamed, tortured her, begging her to stop, to give up.  But no she wouldn't.  Never will she give up.  Never will she abjure her beliefs.  Never will she abjure him.  Is this what love is all about?  She wept endlessly, her mind dysfunction on her, her body weakening, tears fell from her eyes, forever staining their mark of her pain.  Yet she never gave up.  She waited for him every time the cherry blossoms, she waited for him to return from his journey.  As long as her heart kept on beating, every single breath she took, every single step she took, every thing she did, she did it all for him.  Her life itself was truly devoted for him, to him, and always him.  And yet was it worth all the pain?  

               Her body hunched over, her mind growing reckless, her heart beating faster, her breath growing shorter, yet the path seemed to forever hold her under it's spell.  'No he's here.  I know he's here.  He's finally come home,' Kaoru thought, her tear stained eyes, showed a little glamour of hope.  "Shinta," she whispered as she saw a figure from the distance.  Her heart picked up faster, her small steps became larger, and her body weak from his disease began to take its toll on her.  She struggled endlessly to take her last steps and make it towards him.  She felt death was right around the corner, ready, and willing to take both of them away, but she refused to give in.  Her teary eyes once again innate new tears, causing a new trail left to speak her forbidden tales of suffering to the world.  She watched as he stumbled, as he tried so hard to make his way to her.  She used every energy she had left to run to him, every step, the burning pain raging inside her body, the disease, the proof of her love to him, taking it toll on her body.  Her beloved's pace fastened and as they reached closer to each other, it was then he collapsed.

               Kaoru looked at her lover with sympathy, with so much love, with so much anguish in her sapphire eyes.  Once upon time, her beloved was considered to be the strongest man in the whole of Japan.  Because of him, he changed Japan forever, helping to bring new peace, a new error in the whole of Japan.  His sword techniques were advance and lethal, killing every obstacle that stood in its way, but inside he was dying.  Every life he took, he felt responsible.  So he took the last dealing for himself.  He turned into a wanderer forever seeking atonement for his committed sins, hoping that one day, he could finally be forgiven.  And as symbol for him to never forget his past and place in the present, and that he will always carry in the future, was the cross shape scar he carried on his left cheek.  No matter what, even though he had a family, he still felt responsible for the lives he took.  Will he ever find peace?

               No, he will never find peace.  She failed him once again.  Her chances to be a good wife, was a role she could never play properly.  She tried her best to comprehend him, only to fail him in the ending.  She tried her best to give him all the happiness in the world, giving him all of her, but she failed him.  She always failed him.  

               Kaoru held his limp form in her arms.  She cradled his head, kissed his forehead in a gentle gesture, greeting her husband home.  After she observed her surroundings carefully, only then did this place stroke a memory in heart.  This was the place where he told her good bye, before he left to go Kyoto.  If she never did go after him, he would have never returned to her.  She watched the cherry blossoms blooming on the trees.  She watched the beautiful blue clear sky, flashing its  radiant color to the world.  She heard the music of birds in the air.

               "Do you remember how we watched the cherry blossoms every year?  We could continue doing that every year from now," she whispered.  She fought her tears.  Her eyes drooped a little.  'No I'm must not give in.  Not yet Kami-sama, please not yet.  Let me be with him just a little more,' her mind whispered, begging to the one all mighty lord.  She waited for a response from her beloved Shinta, but he never moved.  'Will he ever find peace?  Did he finally atone for his past?'

               Slowly, she moved his crimson hair from his face, so she could get a better look at him.  His body was now lifeless, his heart stopped beating a long time ago.  Some cherry blossoms fell to the floor, as a remembrance making his grave for him.  Kaoru searched his face, for the cross shape scar, that he forever carried as a burden, a reminder of his dreadful past, but all she saw left, left more tears emanating from her eyes.  His cross shape scar faded, it looked as though it was never there.  

               "Your cross shape scar has faded.  Your journey has ended," she whispered softly.

Kaoru couldn't help but smile, as a few tears escaped her eyes.  All the suffering she went through, the tears she wept everyday so quietly, the burning torture that raged through her weak body, the endless torment she felt in her heart, the dysfunction of her mind forever haunted her.  Her life was truly devoted for him.  Yet was it worth it?  He made her so many promises.  Once upon a time, he promised to never leave her and their son Kenji, yet he left.  And even though he didn't come back for a long time, it never stopped her from loving him.   Is this what love is all about?  Is it about pain, suffering?  She wished from this very moment she could relive her life.  She wished to live life with him once again, so she could relieve him of his pain, of his torment, of all the suffering he had to walk with over his years of living.

               She closed her eyes, her heart slowed it pace, her body became light weighted, her head felt a little fuzzy, almost light headed.  She slowly gave herself to the darkness, her life flashed before her eyes.  All her memories were based on her beloved Kenshin known as Shinta.  She truly enjoyed being his wife, being known Kaoru Himura, and then her heart stopped beating.  Little did she know that her wish will come true years later, but instead of carrying goodness, and a heart full of love, all of the sorrow she cried in that life, all her forbidden pain, her mourning, the silence she kept within herself will affect her in the next life, for her beloved did one thing she will never forgive. He broke his promise to never leave her.

_                                                                                          ***_

"Kaoru, come on, it's time for you to go to school!" yelled Kaoru's mom.

               Kaoru stopped writing for a moment.  Her eyes were full of tears, her body raging with so much pain, her mind reckless, there was so much chaos running through her.  Her temples pounded in fury, her body somehow felt terribly weak.  For some reason every time she wrote this story about this woman, she felt so much pain, like if she were once her.  What made the situation more awkward then before, was the fact the woman, the character she wrote about carried her first name.  Kaoru tried to think of another suitable name for the woman in her story, but no other name responded as well as her name did.

               "Come on Kaoru, will you stop writing on that lab top of yours and start getting ready to go to school!" Her mother yelled once again.

               Kaoru rubbed her pounding temples with her soft small delicate hands.  She looked once more at her computer screen, reading it to make sure she didn't leave anything out, and basically to check for grammatical errors.  She saved her story on her floppy disk, slammed her lab top shut, and headed down stairs to grab a quick bite for school.

               Being at home for her, was something she can never bear.  Her parents put her though a lot of frustration, always wanting her to be something she can never be.  The fact that they said she was a negative minded person, is something that always kept her down.  It wasn't that.  They just didn't know her capabilities, at what things came from her heart.  So what if she wasn't the academic brain type as her older sister, Megumi, and her younger brother Yahiko.  She did pretty okay, mostly average in school.  She was better at Social Studies and English, maybe art too, but she never did have the science head and the math head.  She mostly made Bs in her subject and one C.  But that never stopped her from making a B average.  She never put so much time in studying as she put in reading and writing.   She spent most her hours studying for English, after all that was her favorite class.

               As Kaoru headed down the stairs and reached into the kitchen, she saw her father putting on his shoes, her mother took care of Yahiko making sure he was ready for school.  The only person she didn't see was her older sister Megumi.  Kaoru thought she must have left early to go to work.  Kaoru's older sister was extremely smart.  She was so smart she finished college earlier then usual and became a doctor.  She went up for her PHD and got it within five years.  When she was younger she skipped three grades, because of her mind was highly intellectual for any normal standard of her age.  Megumi was not only a brainy act, but she was also a beauty to look at.  She attracted many men with her sophisticated looks, the way she carried about herself, and she carried herself in a bizarre way, more with aberration.  She can be stolid at times, can say fierce words that can sting anyone's heart, but deep down inside she had a heart of gold.  It just took someone to have her high standards of intellect to fully comprehend her.  Then there was Kaoru's younger brother Yahiko.  He was abnormal young teenage boy who is hard to come across every day. He was mostly the type of a fighter.  He carried so much pride in him, when it came to his kendo lessons, and karate lessons.  The one thing he carried in life, were his beliefs to be strong, and protect people he mostly cared about.  He could be an annoying brat most of the times, but he always did something to try to make a person smile.  Also he was very bright in school.  He mostly made As and a couple Bs.  Since he was able to pick up things so fast in kendo and karate lessons, he was able to pick up things fast in school.  

               "Well I'm just heading out and leaving to go to school!" Kaoru yelled at the top of her lungs so she could get her parents attention.  Being the middle child was a tough thing to go through.  Hardly anyone ever knew when the middle child existed.

               "Do you want a drop to school or are you going to walk to school today?" asked her father.  Kaoru couldn't help but smile.  Her father seemed to be the only one who ever showed her how much he'd truly cared for her.  She wished her mother could show her such love, when she didn't want anything.

               "Don't worry dad.  I'll walk to school today.  Anyways I'm suppose to meet a friend on my way to school."  And with those words Kaoru left her father waiting inside the house for her mother.  

               Kaoru walked down the familiar streets of her home.  She lived in New York all her life.  It was her precious home.  She was original born in Manhattan, uptown in a place called Harlem.  There she lived her younger years of life mostly populated with Hispanics and black people.  She loved it, but the place was getting dangerous, crime happened, so much population.  Kaoru's parents moved out from Harlem into a small place in Queens called Richmond Hill.  The place was most populated with white folks.  As she grew older, the place became less crowded with whites, because they starting moving out, and moving to other regions.  Eventually Richmond Hill became populated with Guyanese and Trinidadians. 

               As she walked down the street, looking at the pretty large houses, she noticed a figure looming on Liberty Avenue, she was coming across too.  She recognized that tall figure anywhere, the pleasant smile plastered on his face, the wide innocent blue his eyes held.  Kaoru couldn't help but smile as she greeted the familiar person.

               "Well hello Soujiro Seta.  You haven't changed one bit over the summer.  If you did, I'll say you've gotten taller and a little muscular," Kaoru said as she smile a mischievous smile.  Her sapphire eyes danced with wickedness.  Soujiro knew that look too well.

               "Well Kaoru Kamiya, I'll say you haven't changed much either, accept that you've gotten a little bit smaller then before, but at least you still hold that same spirit," he said as he hugged his friend.  He really did miss her over the summer.

               "I didn't change that much.  I was mostly on my feet this summer working at this clothing store on Lefferts Blvd. And volunteering for the library, because of their books."

               "Yep, that certainly does sound like you.  If anyone knows you well, they'll know about the couple of novels you written."

               "I told you not to bring up anything about that."  Kaoru looked at Soujiro with so much annoyance, and a little anger.  She didn't like when anyone brought up any topics about her books.  Last two summers ago, was when everything happened.  Dreams began to plague her, filling her with so much pain, with tears of sorrow, that it coursed throughout her body, forever leaving its mark.  She wrote a couple books called _Hidden in the Shadows, and __Lurking in the Darkness.  The couple of books were a trilogy she wrote about a young teenage boy, once called Hitokiri Battousai bringing Japan its freedom, and the starting of the new Meiji government.  But what set him apart were his dreams, were the nightmares he experienced through the war, the Revolution.  He met a woman, his first love who changed his ways forever, but happiness can never stay with him for that long.  She died in arms, by his hands, his very sword.  From that day he became a Rurouni, a man who wandered from place to place, looking for justice of people who couldn't receive it.  However after ten years of wandering, did he meet her, the girl who changed his life forever.  It girl who helped him continue because of her beliefs, because of her love for him.  Only he didn't realize how much he made her suffer._

               "I'm sorry to bring up the topic.  I didn't mean to say anything to offend you," Soujiro said as he brought his friend out of her dream state.  He realized the distress on her face.  He saw her brought her hands, rubbing her temples.  Her sapphire eyes looked watery.

               "It's okay Soujiro, you didn't mean to bring up that topic.  You know I don't like to talk about it because it does things to me, makes me feel things that are abnormal," she whispered.  Her head hurt, her pounding temples beat so loudly, deafening her.  More tears fell from her eyes.  Her knees became weak, and she fell away from the real world, succumbing into the darkness.   


	2. The Fallacy

Sorry I haven't updated this in a long time.  I hope this chapter makes it up to you.  I don't know when it will be the next time I update this story, but most likely when winter break do come along, I will surely update.  Please do leave comments, suggestions, any questions in your review.  But please don't leave hard hurting flames, because I am a sensitive person.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series.  I wish I did, but I don't. : (

The Fallacy

Chapter Two

                Across the glittery dance floor, marked red streaks of blood.  Bodies clashes against each other moving fiercely to the pace of the music.  Hands gliding, hips swaying, feet moving all at once speeding to the music as the music got faster.  From the right of the dance floor, a dark stranger sat along with his kind, glancing back to the dance floor.  Every night was the same thing.  Vampires from all over New York met in this nightclub called Akebeko, where they ruled for the whole night.  No humans every dared to come into this bar, unless they were owned by a vampire.  If any human ever did come uninvited, they would not last long enough to see a few minutes of their life.

                It was also a rule that not every human could become a vampire.  They had to have a rare blood type, and a certain connection to a vampire to ever be a vampire, but besides that a regular human was meant to die or become deranged if ever tried to become a vampire.

                Sitting across the counter, the bar tender stood there in fear, watching the stranger take sips of blood from his cup.  As he finished his cup, amber eyes stared at the young vampire.  He could smell her fear, almost taste with his very tongue.  All he did was smile a predatory smile, a smile telling her, he knew very well that she feared him with her life.

                "Battousai we meet again," said a familiar voice.  Only few people ever had the right to call him Battousai.  The ones, who gained his respect, the ones who were honorable to him had the obligation of calling him Battousai in public or private.  Reluctantly he turned from his seating position to meet his mentor.

                "Well Hiko Seijuro it's good to see you again," greeted Battousai, as he laid his money on the bar counter.  He sensed the woman vampire hesitating to pick up the money from him.  It only made him smile more.  

                "I see you're doing fine.  Tomoe asked for you.  Certainly she hasn't seen you for the longest time.  She said she hoped to see you again after all she hadn't seen you for almost two centuries," said Hiko formally.  He clasped both his hands together in a polite manner, trying to make the conversation sound like two old friends were conversing with each other.

                "Actually I haven't seen her for two centuries.  The last time I saw her was the night I thought she died, however she never did," answered Battousai calmly.  His amber eyes never stared into Hiko's dark eyes.  Instead his amber eyes scanned the area, watching the fresh warm blood falling from the ceiling, splashing vampires, bading them in the warmth of it.

                "The last time both of you met was the time before the Meiji period started in Japan.  Now you both have moved forward going your own separate ways.  However she never forgot about you as you never forgot about her.  Even throughout the long centuries, she missed you. Battousai."

                "Things cannot be the same as they were a long time ago.  She no longer carries the name as my wife.  Yes I know she saved me a long time ago, from ever dying in a regretful way, saying I have atoned for my past sins, but things are different now.  As time passes things change.  They're never the same."

                "Ah but I see you haven't changed one bit.  The only thing that has changed is your gentle Rurouni side no longer exists."

                "Well Hiko, as one of my past lovers exist, Battousai will exist.  The other died, therefore Rurouni died.  But I wonder at times if what Enishi said was true.  He himself truly never died.  He said those who died would be born someday, remembering the very past.  If that's true, then that means that she is alive."

                "But Battousai what about the one who wrote the stories about you?  The author knows everything about your past, from detail to detail.  How does she know, when only a few people know about your past?  The only remaining few will never tell a soul about you.  You have gained more enemies then before, and they know your secrets."

                Battousai stood from his seat in a calm manner.  He straightened his long black trench coat, pushed aside his bloody red hair from his face.  He looked away from Hiko's dark gaze, back to the dance floor.  "You see those vampires out there.  They will never take something that is mine.  They are too cowardly to face me off and ever win.  I told you once before and again.  The woman who is the author of those books is mine.  I chose to face her myself.  I chose to kill her."  With those words Battousai left Hiko to wonder.

                Drowsy sapphire eyes opened to find a dimmed room.  From the couch, Kaoru could see television from across the room.  Above it were very familiar pictures of Soujiro and her, of moments when they grew up together.  Kaoru couldn't help but smile a little.  She felt the same pounding in her head, as she felt earlier.  Silently as not to alarm anyone, she got up very slowly from the couch she laid on.  Just by looking throughout the room, she knew exactly where she was, but she didn't know how she got here in the first place.  All she remembered was she got into an argument with Soujiro about something she didn't want to talk about and then she felt a familiar headache.

                _Oh no, please don't tell me I fainted again.  I really don't want to have to go through that gain.  Before I know it, I'll be fainting everywhere I go, Kaoru mentally scolded herself.  She believed the weak, always fainted or cried.  She tried so hard to never cry when she wanted too.  Soujiro always told her she had more pride and will power then anyone he ever knew.  Just then before Kaoru could head towards the kitchen of her best friend's house, she felt a large hand grabbed her by her shoulder._

                "Kaoru, are you okay?" asked a familiar voice.  Kaoru didn't have to think twice.  She twirled around so fast, that Soujiro never expected her to hug him so fiercely. 

                "How did I get here Soujiro?  Please don't tell me that I you know…" Kaoru said nervously, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck as she choked the air from his lungs.

                For awhile Soujiro didn't move.  He stayed dead silent, as if waiting for Kaoru to let him go.  Kaoru forgot she was choking him, until she felt strong arms wrapped around her as if bringing her back into the real world.  She let go of him and mumble an apology for almost killing him.  If it was one thing Kaoru knew, she knew without Soujiro she would never had made it far in her lifetime.

                Kaoru sat down on Soujiro's couch, while trying to avoid his eyes.  She didn't want to explain herself for her  not so appropriate actions towards him.  She also didn't want to have to explain why she fainted earlier.  If she had a chance right now, she would leave him and head home to sleep in her room, plus hope she didn't have to face him, like she was facing him right now.

                "Okay Kaoru we have to get some things cleared."  Soujiro sat down on his regular couch across from her.  She can fell her heart rate increased, her pounding temples hurt more then before, her body stiffened in fear.  She brought her small hands to her face, to bury her facial expression of pain from him.

                "What is it you want to know Soujiro?" asked Kaoru with tears in her throat.  She crouched on the couch to make her body feel a little bit better, but instead her body felt worse.

                "Are you sure you're okay?"  Warms arms supported her, while she felt another presence in the room in the living room of Soujiro's home.

                "Misao, is that you?  Are you there?"  She felt like she was calling someone in a lost fog.

                "Yes Kaoru I'm here," said a warm, sweet voice, a voice that always made her feel like everything was going to be okay.  Slowly Kaoru raised her head, to meet beautiful emerald green eyes staring back at her sapphire eyes.

                "Misao, you're really here," cried Kaoru as she limply got up and hugged her really goof friend.  Throughout her whole summer she really missed having Misao around to converse with.  Since Misao was an understanding person, who gave great advice, plus always found a way to make someone better, Kaoru knew Misao would find a way to make this situation better for her.

                "I came here as soon as possible after Soujiro told me about the incident that happened on Liberty.  I was so worried about you, that I came after school was done," said Misao in a worried tone.

                Kaoru could see her concern for her in those emerald green eyes.  "I'm fine. I can guarantee that for the both of you.  You two know you shouldn't worry about me.  I always do make it through don't I?"

                "Yeah Kaoru you do, however it's getting worst for you.  We don't know for a fact what's going on with you.  You're hiding things from us, important information we need to know.  You barely eat any food and your excuses are not enough to hide the real truth from us.  Today for instance like what happened on Liberty Avenue was one of those incidents," said Soujiro seriously.  For the first time he wasn't smiling as he usually did.

                Knowing this scene was going to get deeper, Kaoru finally decided it was time to them the real truth instead of covering it with so much lies as she always did.  "You want to know the truth.  Well here is the real truth.  I wrote books about a legendary swordsman who brought peace to Japan."  Kaoru looked away from her friend stares.  In order to tell them the truth, she had to not be able to see their facial expressions as she continued speaking.  "He was called Battousai the manslayer.  He killed to bring the future of Japan.  However the very lives he took, the blood that stained his hands, remained there to haunt him forever.  After losing something very precious to him, something that saved him and kept in humanity, he wandered ten years endlessly looking for a way to seek atonement for the lives that he took.  It was then he came upon a young woman who shared idealistic, something that he was trying to do, trying to keep until his dying day.  His main promise to never kill again kept him going as well as the young woman's belief.  It was in her courage, the strong beliefs she had for the phrase 'a sword is to protect, not to kill' that kept her going.  Eventually she was able to capture the wanderer's heart because of her courage, her strength, her spirit, her will power etc.  After awhile the wanderer married the young woman, in hopes of settling down once again.  The young woman though by him marrying her, would settle him from wandering, but it never did.  He made her a promise to never leave her and their only son, but he broke that promise to wander again.  He told her he didn't feel like he truly atoned for his sins, so he must continue to wander, however he will come back home whenever he had the chance too.   The woman agreed.  It was her heart, her undying love for him, which kept her truly loyal to him.  Even her son could not understand why she loved him so much, when all he did was made her cry.  In the ending of not seeing him for years, he finally return to her, dying in her arms as they watched the cherry blossoms together for one last time, but what she never knew was that if she were ever to be reincarnated, all the grief, the pain that her heart bared, would be true hatred in her upcoming life."

                Soujiro and Misao looked at Kaoru with shock and disbelief.  They couldn't believe she was the successful author who wrote those novels.  It was considered the number one best seller books, recommended by the _New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, scholastic industry etc.  They couldn't find the right words to speak to the famous author right before their eyes._

                "You see, from writing those books, I started to feel a weird connection.  It was rather strange how I was able to feel every single character's feelings that were in my story, especially the woman who was the wanderer's wife.  Writing in her perspective effected me the most.  I felt her love, yet inside her heart I also felt the hatred growing for her own husband, the sense of betrayal.  The conviction, the agony, the pain she walked with all her remaining years, I felt it all inside me."

                "Kaoru, or shall I call you Raven Walker?  Those books that you wrote were unbelievably good.  What made them so awesome were the historical facts, as well as the descriptions you put in them.  But I also noticed you put both Soujiro's name and mine in it.  Why?" asked Misao trying to keep herself in a calm posture.

                "They were the only names that my head would come up with.  I couldn't use any other names.  They wouldn't go good for the characters.  I'm sorry to have used your names, but for some reason something told me those names have existed before in the past."

                "You have to be going crazy.  There is no hell of a way those names could have existed in the past.  Maybe first names, but personalities too.  Don't talk about last name," said Misao quietly.

                "It's not that.  You both don't understand," said Kaoru miserably.  She shook her head with frustration.  She felt her hands clenched at her sides in annoyance.  Why did she even bother?  It would have been so much better, if she kept everything in her mind then speak them out loud to her friends.

                Soujiro seeing her reactions over Misao's remarks decided to take some action.  The last thing he wanted Kaoru to feel was she lost support from her friends, however he read her books and everything she talked about, being able to understand the characters, feeling a weird connection towards them all did make sense to him.  When he read about the little boy who worked for a dark master, everything that was described about the little boy felt so real.  He dreamt about being that little boy before reading her books.

                "Then Kaoru makes us understand you.  Tell us something Misao doesn't want to hear but what I want to hear," responded Soujiro.

                Kaoru looked at him with an astonished look in her eyes.  She expected to be treated as some kind of lunatic.  She thought her friends were going to tell her she needed some break, but to hear Soujiro supporting her, seeing the look of determination in his warm blue eyes, made her see a whole new light.  Without waiting for Misao to stop doubting the inevitable, Kaoru said her last statements.  "What if we are them?  What if we are their reincarnated souls?"


	3. Once a Manslayer Always a Manslayer

Sorry readers for not updating this story for the longest time.  Many of you were also astonished to see that I updated **Dark Gold** as well.  I am so sorry for taking months to update these stories.  You know I will never leave these stories half way done.  I hope many of you guys are not mad at me, and I hope you could understand I have a really busy life.  However, since I have this whole week off and next week, I will work on all my other stories that need to be updated.  Please, be so kind as to leave a review.  Any questions, comments, and suggestions will gladly be accepted.  Though… I will not like any flames.  Constructive reviews are much better.  **Those who can't write leave flames.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.  I wish I did but I don't.  : (**

**Once a Manslayer, Always a Manslayer**

Chapter Three 

                Misao looked at Kaoru and Soujiro with disbelief.  Her ears must have heard wrong.  Kaoru couldn't have been saying what she just said.  Misao had known Kaoru her whole life.  Never did she know Kaoru to be superstitious, to believe in something that wasn't real.

                Turning her head away, she rubbed her aching temples, trying to comprehend the complicated situation she was in.  From school to here, she was missing her first couple of periods because of her maniac friends.  Slowly she breathed fresh air into her lungs, to clear her throat before speaking to her two best friends.  "Kaoru, just be real, these things can't be true."

                "I believe they are.  I believe whatever Kaoru said," stated Soujiro seriously.  He turned his once warm blue eyes to Misao emerald eyes.  Never once did Misao remember ever seeing a serious expression coming from the childish Soujiro.

                "Oh come on," said Misao desperately.  She got up from the couch she was sitting on and now turned her full attention to Soujiro.  "You can't believe that.  What proof is there?  We can't be reincarnated souls from the past."

                "Then again we can.  Don't you remember when you first went to Kyoto.  You said it was strange how you knew the back streets, when you were never there.  Yet being there in Kyoto, you felt like you were there before.  Explain that?"

                "I have nothing to explain really.  It was all by chance."

                "Yeah, and me knowing how to use a sword naturally and coming up with moves I never before used, happened all by chance."

                "Please, stop it," said Kaoru quietly.  She got up from her position on the couch and walked over to coffee table.  Smoothing her hands out on the sides of her legs, she brought her head up to look at her both over reactive friends, who were arguing because of her stupid topic.  "Maybe I shouldn't have brought up the topic in the first place.  My beliefs are my beliefs and this is where it's going to end."

                "No, it's not going to end there," said Soujiro stubbornly.  He looked from Kaoru to glare at Misao.  Never before did he ever get mad at Misao.  He refused to end the topic, where Kaoru tried to end it.  He wanted to make it clear to Misao of the weird things that happened to them lately.  He wanted to open her eyes to see the real truth.  "You always spoke of vampires existing when they are not real."

                "I do believe that they are real.  So many bodies have been found, with their blood all dried up.  Vampire bats don't take that much blood, plus there are none here.  Mosquitoes can't take that much blood, and leaches aren't anywhere around to suck a person dry," said Misao defensively.

                "Yeah, you believe in the most ridiculous things, yet with something like this, you don't believe in it," said Soujiro calmly.  His voice may have sounded normal, but the dark look he gave Misao spoke of something different, something Kaoru didn't want to know about.

                "I can believe in whatever I want to believe in.  Vampires are true.  With the weird things you talk about happening, I think they are all behind it!" yelled Misao, finally losing her temper.

                "Please stop it!" Kaoru shrieked.  Her hands closed over her ears as she shook her head violently.  She tried so hard to stop both her best friends from consuming each other alive.  She felt totally responsible for this complete outbreak in an argument.  If anything happened, it would be all her fault.

                Finally throwing her body on the ground, from all the exhaustion for one morning, she let her sobs take over.  She was completely worn out, tired from her friends fighting, and most of all hungry for something to eat.  She barely ate anything before leaving her home.

                Soujiro and Misao stopped their argument immediately when they both heard Kaoru shouting and then falling onto the floor crying.  They looked horrified at Kaoru's reaction toward them.  They were so engrossed with proving their points right, that they forgot who they were, and what their friendship meant.  If it weren't for Kaoru's hard work to keep the friendship organized, then they would have turned on each other a long time ago.

                Quietly, Soujiro left his place to kneel down next to his friend.  His hand rubbed her back in a soothing gesture to comfort her, and to let her know that they stopped arguing.  After what seemed like forever, Kaoru looked up at her friends.  Soujiro tenderly wiped the remaining tears from her tear-streaked face.  Misao lowered herself to the floor to apologize to Kaoru.  Her emerald eyes never once wavered from Kaoru's sapphire eyes.

                "We're so sorry.  We never meant to let an outbreak happen like that Kaoru," said Misao gently.

                "If it weren't for you Kaoru, we would have never been the best friends we are today," added Soujiro.

                Kaoru nodded her head gracefully, glad that her friends were once back in order.  Her family was never like this, but her friends were like this.  She considered her closest friends, her family.  They treated her as an equal, listened to her whenever she needed someone to talk too.  Without them, she would never have made it far to where she was.

                Now that everything was normal, Soujiro helped Kaoru up from the floor.  Her small form leaned against his larger frame, as he helped carried her to the kitchen to get something to eat.

                "You know, it's not to late to hit a next couple of classes before school ends.  I think we better hurry, if we want to make it in time," called Misao as she hurried behind the two who entered the kitchen.  All she heard as a response was a grumble.

()

                Battousai walked toward his home on Jamaica Avenue.  He ignored the scents of his prey, their low voices, the strong steady rhythm of their hearts.  It annoyed him as the years went by, how much he seemed to approach to the darker side.  Once upon a time he was willing to give himself to the lighter side of things until she came.  That was what pissed him off.  The moment the woman came to his life, and shared her idealistic, her beliefs with him, he changed.  He wanted to give himself for to her.  He was willing to leave the dark for her light, to bathe in her ocean of hope.  Yet with everything, despite the fact what life gave him, never did he have an option.

                As he got home, he opened the door into a dark room.  The only light came from the flickering candle across the room on his desk.  Laid out on the desk were books, the author made on his life, the one whom he claimed to kill.  Walking toward the desk, he opened the first couple of pages to read about his life.

                Unaware of the time that passed by, Battousai fully lost himself in the woman's description.  Her words made him do something, he thought he could never do, that was to feel again.  Her words etched to the depths of his heart.  The words in which the author used to describe the past, made him think everything was for real.  The time frame was exact, as if she had been in that time.  The way she portrayed him, felt so like him.  But what really got to him was… _Kaoru._  The author portrayed her exactly like her.  It was like the author really was in her shoes.  The words were real, the thoughts so much alike, the description of physical appearance so precise.  How did the author get such information?  From where did the author come up with exact information about his life?  Before he kills her, he decided to make sure she revealed this information to him, for it was very important.

                Just thinking about this, made Kenshin uneasy.  Never before had he gave something all of his undivided attention.  Nothing never got him so engrossed as this author did.  Closing his eyes, he let his past come to him, as it did numerous times.

Past 

                _He edged closer to his home, closer to the woman he loved so much.  His wife waited for him all this time.  How could he forget her?  How could he forget her smile, her beautiful sapphire eyes, or the tender way she looked at him?  He was almost there.  The woman he loved, his precious wife was running to him, while he stumbled to reach her.  He could feel her warmth around him, enfolding him one last time, before leaving the world.  The once strong hitokiri was now a weakling, who struggled to see the one thing that kept him at peace.  The woman was what he lived for._

_                Stumbling over the small rocks, his senses alerted him of someone near by.  The presence seemed ever so familiar.  It was something of his, yet a part of him could not sense what it was.  He wondered, trying to see if he could remember anything in his past of the calm, reserved presence he sensed.  If he was going to die, he did not want to die like this.  He wanted to die in his wife's arms, he wanted to see Kaoru before he went off to a different world, yet with something stopping him, he could never make it in time to see her._

_                Struggling to stand up, his wary body stumbled once more.  His arms gave away, as he tried not to cry out from the pain of his sickness, the sickness he tried so hard to keep away from his wife.  Only in the end, she made love to him, knowing what she was going to get herself into.  Her love was so strong for him that she was willing to bare his soul, willing to go through his pains just for him.  She made his life so much easier.  Never did she have to prove her love for him._

_                Finally, he let his eyes closed, as his breathing grew more ragged, much shorter then the last.  His heart rate increased as it thundered throughout the forest.  The presence in which he sensed before, came closer to him, until it was standing right before him._

_                "Is this the great Hitokiri Battousai?" asked the womanly voice from the distance.  "Never before did I ever think you would turn out to be like this.  I thought if you were going to go down, you would go down by a sword, after all that was how you were created."  The woman moved closer to him.  Her serene, angelic face reminded him so much of someone from his past, but who?_

_                "The great Hitokiri Battousai was something I once were, but throughout the years I have changed," Kenshin whispered harshly.  His words came out like a croak, while he struggled to work on his breathing._

_                "Yes, you have changed.  You tried to atone for all the lives you took in the past, to achieve what?  From the death of one precious person, the person you thought you failed to protect, you made a vast change to try to protect all the innocents, until you met her," the womanly voice said quietly.  Gracefully she walked closer to him.  Her small, pale hands reached down to caress his face.  Her body crouched before him, as she cradled his face.  Then she forced his violet eyes to look at her brown eyes._

_                "How… do you… know these… things?" he barely asked._

_                "I know so many things.  I've been watching you over the years, cause after all, I do believe I owe you a special gift."_

_                "What… gift?"_

_                "A gift of life, a gift that you deserve for trying so hard to atone for your crimes.  Though, have you forgotten, once a manslayer, always a manslayer?  You were born by the sword, and that is how Battousai shall die.  Rurouni on the other hand should die from pure innocence.  In the hands of one is where, you shall die, and wake with a new life, you never dreamed you could have.  A life with new sins, yet with unbelievable powers, a life in which you could create anew.  I will meet you once again my beloved."_

_                "…When…?"_

_                "When you must choose your faith?"  She bent her head toward him.  Closing his eyes, he could feel the warmth of him fading, while his blood flowed hotly from his veins to the mysterious woman.  Flashes of images were passing his mind.  But one in particular caught him off guard.  A memory of a dead woman lying lifeless in his arms, his cheek bleeding from the mark she engraved on him forever, that changed him forever.  For the fleeting moment, he could smell white plums from his… first wife, the one he thought died that night.  _

_At the ending of the transfusion, he warily got up on his feet.  With a little energy he walked the remaining distance to Kaoru, yet his first love stayed on his mind… wondering if he truly ever met his beloved…Tomoe._

Present 

                From the time Battousai woke up from his deep slumber, he awoke to discover a new him, a side in which he thought he could never have.  His senses were like something he never came across.  He could hear things from miles away, moved faster then his godlike speed, smell both rotten and erotic things, feel things higher then a lower human could feel etc.  The gift of which his beloved Tomoe gave him, was truly, undeniably something he thought he could ever asked for.  From the time in receiving the remarkable gift, he killed and reveled in it.  People's pains, were his signs of malice.  Learning to be a vampire became an easy job.  All he regretted from the past was giving up his time on atoning when he should have realized he could never atone.  As Tomoe said, he died in the hands on an innocent… _Kaoru._  Now if he were to die, he would have to die in the hands of a sword.  _Once a manslayer, always a manslayer. _


End file.
